Society Camp
by SandyJPhoenix
Summary: Two girls go camping with their chapter of the society. This story doesn't really have much to do with the actual books, but it was fun to write and hopefully fun to read too! This is narrated from the two main characters' POVs, Izzy is in bold, and Alex is in normal. A colab with impossible hazelnut! Please read and review!
1. 1 - In which camping bags are vaporised

_Disclaimer: We do not own companions, Julia Golding does. We don't even own some of the characters - they do because they're real!_

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**I look up to see Alex and her annoying friend Anna coming down the steps into the canteen. They are arguing as normal. Alex sits down at the table beside me, dumping her heavy bags at her feet.**

** "But why do you need a bag to go on Guide Camp?" says Anna.**

** Alex rolls her eyes and sighs. "Because I need something to ****_sleep_**** in! Hey Izzy!" she adds**

** "Why? Don't you sleep in a hotel?" whines Anna.**

** "No! That would defy the point of ****_camping_****!" I say in exasperation.**

** "But..." Anna looks confused, "Why would you want to ****_camp_****?" We give her up as a bad job.**

**_"_****Hey guys!" it's Aisha, another moron to deal with, "Have you heard Mr Jenkins is leaving?"**

** "****_Really? I didn't know that!" _****Alex and I say in unison, and then start giggling.**

** "Didn't you?" she asks, not picking up on the sarcasm.**

** "****_No! We only brought a card for him and all signed it!"_**

**"Oh! That's what that was for! What's in the bags?"**

** "Oh," says Alex "stuff for Guide Camp."**

** "I didn't know you do Guides!"**

** "Yeah," I say "You don't know much, do you Aisha?"**

** "Who's Mr Jenkins?" Anna is ten seconds late as normal.**

** "Let's go to our lockers!" Alex decides, before we can start arguing again.**

** "Alex!" Tia hisses, "Can I put Snowball in you locker?" Tia is one of those people you know well, but isn't really your friend. She's a frost wolf companion, and Snowball's a frost wolf puppy. My friend Alex shares lifts with her, but Tia never talks. Occasionally though, she turns pretty chatty! **

** "Who's Snowball?" Alex's friend, Frankie asks loudly from beside them.**

** "Doesn't matter!" Alex says quickly, pulling everything out of her locker - not that there was much in there anyway. Tia quickly smuggles Snowball inside with a bowl of food and water, and Alex shuts the door.**

** "What ****_are_**** you doing?" says our annoying friend Emily, coming up behind us, "and why is your stuff all over the floor?"**

** "Oh, I'm going to put it in Izzy's locker." Alex says, as though that was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Emily frowns.**

** "Why?"**

** "Cause we're going to guide camp, of course!" I say quickly.**

** "But Isobel, you don't ****_do_**** Guides! You're ****_far_**** too pathetic to do anything as awesome as Guides!"**

** "Shut up, Emily!" Alex hisses.**

** "Why?" says Emily loudly.**

** "Oh it doesn't matter, long story." Alex says exasperated, "I'm taking her as a friend!"**

**Emily carries on moaning as Alex puts her stuff in my locker.**

** "We can leave our camping bags in our form room." Alex says.**

** "Yeah, cause Miss Lewis will just ****_love_**** that!" I reply, wondering what Miss Lewis really might do if she found them. Then I remember she's a gorgon companion, so might guess what they were for anyway.**

** "Come on, let's go to the form room."**

** So we leave our bags in the cupboard in the form room with no idea of the disaster to come . . .**

_ Thank God it's break, _Ithink to myself as I walk down the corridor, _I'm starving! _When I arrive, all the furniture has been pushed to the edges of the room for the last day of term, leaving a massive space in the middle for 8C to mess around in. I look around to see if Izzy is there. She isn't, but then she does have to come from as far away as you can get!

I go over to check on our bags in the massive cupboards. I have to drag a table out of the way to reach them.

"Alex, what _are_ you doing?" Emily asks, exasperated, "you're acting really odd today, you know!"

I laugh, "What, more than normal?"

"Yes!" She replies determinedly, "and Izzy!"

"Talking of Izzy, here she is!" I reply, and finally get the door open. We both gasp in shock. The bags have gone! We look at each other in horror.

"But where have they gone?!" Izzy gasps in despair.

"Where have _what_ gone?" Emily asks. We ignore her.

"Vapourised!" I cry, "We'll have to ask Mr Scott to get them back!

"Lets go! So we dash off to the staff room, followed by an extremely curious Emily.

"What _are _you guys doing?" We continue to ignore her.

We arrive at the staff room and conveniently, we see Mr Scott walking passed with Miss Shaw. I hurry over and politely give Miss Shaw my ICT project. Izzy, meanwhile, dashes over to Mr Scott.

"Mr Scott! Miss Lewis's vaporised our camping bags!"

"What?" our geography teacher (and chapter assessor) looks baffled.

"Miss Lewis! She vaporised them! They're not in the cupboard!" Izzy says, flustered.

"What cupboard? And what do you mean 'vaporised'?"

I sigh, tell a confused Miss Shaw not to worry, and turn round to explain myself. "What she means is that we left our bags in our form room this morning, and now they're not there. We think Miss Lewis may have moved them."

"Oh!" He says, finally understanding, "I'll ask her now!" We stand waiting as he heads into the staff room.

Emily looks bamboozled. "What was _that_ all about?"

"Don't worry your not-very-pretty head about it!" Izzy jokes. Emily swings her bag at her, and I sigh and roll my eyes. They're always fighting like that.

Then Mr Scott walks back out of the staff room, carrying out bags over either shoulder.

"Oh well done Mr Scott! You conjured them!" Izzy cries, clasping her hands together in delight. Mr Scott gives her another odd look.

"Thank you very much Mr Scott," I say sensibly, "do you know where we could put them?"

"You could ask your mentor if you could put them in the music block," he suggests helpfully.

"Good idea! I'll ask her! Thanks again!"

"Bye!" he calls, still looking in concern after Isobel.

"That's the most I've ever heard Isobel speak!" I hear him add to Miss Shaw, after he thinks we're out of earshot. Izzy doesn't notice, she too busy arguing with Emily again.

We head off to the music block where Amanda, my mentor and music teacher, allows us to leave the bags in the music staff room.

"Excited?" Amanda asks me.

"Totally! See you later!" I reply. We can't say more in front of Emily, so we hurry off to our classes.

**When I arrive at our lockers, I see Alex standing around chatting to Jasmine. She's fetched both our camping bags, evidently she's been there a while longer than me.**

** "Merry Christmas!" she greets me.**

** "What?! Oh – I didn't take ****_that _****long!" I protest.**

** "Mr Brown was on time for once!" Alex explains. I open my locker and stuff all the fossilised bits of Latin homework and scraps of unused textiles fabric into my bag, before handing Alex her phone.**

** "Thanks!" she says, and we head off to the canteen. Emily catches us up halfway. Oops – I'd forgotten about her in my excitement.**

** "How could you forget ****_me_****? I'm ****_far_**** too amazing to be abandoned!"**

** "Sorry, Emily - we were just so excited about Socie- er... Guide Camp!" explains Alex.**

** "What's 'socie-er Guide Camp'?" Emily inquires.**

** "It's our special type of Guide Camp!" I invent.**

** "Near Socier!" Alex adds. Thankfully we've reached the canteen by now and we find some seats.**

** "Have a good holidays" and "See you soon"s come from the three of us, and Emily heads to her bus stop. We sit around chatting about our day while Tia reads, despite our attempts at conversation. Soon the canteen is empty, apart from us three and our classmate, Katie.**

** "Why isn't Katie leaving?" Alex whispers to me in concern.**

** "I don't know! Shall we ask her?" I reply. We casually stroll over to her.**

** "Are you going on holiday after school, Katie?" Alex asks.**

** "I'm going on Guide Camp."**

** "What, Guide Camp or ****_Guide _****Camp?" I ask.**

** She grins "****_Guide _****Camp! So what's your companion species?"**

** "Phoenix." Grins Alex.**

** "Dragon!"**

** "Awesome. I'm Flower Sprite." Says Katie, and we carry on chatting until Tia's mentor, Tabitha, arrives.**

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_Thanks for reading - we hope you like it! There will be more actual companions in future chapters!_**  
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	2. 2 - In which Amanda falls off a chair

_Yay! The second chapter is finally up! Sorry, it's still long, random, and not much to do with companions, but we hope you ejoy it anyway!_

_Flower sprites are a new companions species we invented. They are basically giant butterflies with powers to grow plants!_

_Please rewiew! We really want to know what you think!_

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Finally, Tabitha arrives from another nearby secondary school, with Bethany, Amber and Ruby, and we get in the cars. Amber is a chatty girl of fourteen, with long, black hair, and dark brown eyes. At least, we try to get in the cars. Katie finds she's left her phone in her locker, along with some other stuff, and we find that we don't actually _fit!_

"Er," says Amanda, "would you be able to sit on the duvets, Alex?"

I knew it. I _always_ end up on the duvets! No matter where we're going, I get the duvet seat. Normally it's quite nice but today, it's BOILING!

"Sure," I reply, "just so long as I can hold Snowball!"

It's agreed and we all squash in. Well I guess the duvets are better than sitting in the middle like Katie is!

"I'll drive," says Miss Hill, "do you know the way, Alex?" Miss Hill, or Lisa as I should call her, also teaches at our school. She mentors my friend Katie, and both of them are flower sprite companions. She's quite tall, with wavy blonde hair, and she's always very organised.

"Me?! No!" I answer, horrified, they didn't expect me to navigate did they?

"Good, in that case, no one can blame me for getting lost! Sat-nav at the ready Amanda?"

"Er. . . I think so, though it hasn't got a very good record. It's the one that dumped me in the middle of the motorway when I was trying to get to your house!"

Oh dear, they might need me after all! "Well, if it gets us to Graffham village OK, I reckon I could do the last bit." I add helpfully.

"What a thought!" Katie answers teasingly.

Now, we're finally off. Tia has zoned out already, Katie is texting her friend Milly, attempting to explain where she is, and I'm getting bored, and listening to out mentors talk.

"How far is it, Amanda?" Miss Hill asks. I still haven't got used to calling Miss Hill, Lisa. I'm all right with Amanda now, though it was weird at first. I kept calling her Miss Jennings, until she refused to answer unless I said Amanda!

"Well, the sat-nav isn't too clear." She answers "It said thirty minutes, five minutes ago, but now, it says five hours!"

"It's about two and a half," I provide helpfully.

"That's good," Amanda replies, "Five hours is _far_ too long."

They carry on talking about their different subjects, each convinced that their own if better.

Then I realise something, "Er, guys." I say slowly, "Where's Snowball?" Panic reigns in the car as everyone (not including Miss Hill, of course) begins to search franticly for the tiny pup. Eventually, we find him in the cool box. A discovery Katie makes, to her great surprise, when she finds the lid off!

Then awkward silence reigns again. Amanda turns on the radio. "Sexy and I know it!" fills the car and I quickly turn the radio off again.

"What?" I say, shrugging. "It's a terrible song!" Katie looks offended.

"Too right!" Miss Hill agrees.

Silence again, a very awkward one. So awkward, I start giggling. More stares. I start giggling more.

"What on earth is so funny, Alex?" Katie asks in disbelief. I shrug helplessly. I don't even know myself. She starts giggling too. Tia eyes us as though she's worried about our sanity. She shouldn't need to worry. She ought to already know I'm totally nutty! There's a gasp from the front seat, and Lisa starts giggling too. Soon we're all helpless, including Tia, though I don't think anyone knows why.

Eventually, we manage to contain ourselves and the awkwardness is all gone. We chat together about different things and soon I see a sign saying 'Petworth'.

"We're nearly there," I inform everyone, cheerfully.

"That's odd," Amanda replies, frowning, "the sat-nav seems to think we're three hours away!"

"It's definitely this turning!" I reply, and Miss Hill, to my great surprise, believes me, and takes it. I spend the rest of my journey making educated guesses about how to get there, and greatly annoying the sat-nav, which is insisting we "do a U-turn".

Eventually we arrive, after going wrong a few times, and _having _to do several U-turns. Then, we get out the tents. Well, I say we get out the tents, but actually, we have to check in first. There's a few minutes of panic while Lisa searches franticly for the booking reference. Eventually though, she finds it, and someone shows us to our pitches.

** "Ok," says Mr Scott, consulting his list "Isobel, Bethany, Ruby and Claire, you're with me." The others and I follow Mr Scott to his car.**

** "Eek!" exclaims Ruby on opening the back door, "a spider!"**

** I examine it. "It's not ****_that_**** big." I say, picking it up.**

** "Ew…" says Bethany. I wave it in their faces and giggle as they squirm away.**

** "Come ****_on_**** girls!" Mr Scott exclaims. I put the spider down and get in the car, a little regretfully. Ruby and Bethany sit listening to music on Ruby's phone, not paying much attention to me.**

**Bethany is sixteen, and also a dragon companion. She mentors me for her grade ten exam, but Claire teaches me too sometimes.**

**Ruby is also in our chapter. She is fourteen, and has short, wavy brown hair. Her companion species is great eagle, and Mr Scott is her mentor.**

** I gaze out of the car window, watching Wycombe pass outside. I never thought I'd be getting a lift from my geography teacher, but here I am.**

** "Mr Scott?" I say.**

** "Yes, Isobel? Are you going to ask me a question?" Mr Scott is always going on about how I never talk in Geography, so he made me ask him a question every lesson.**

** I giggle shyly. "Yes, actually. What am I meant to call you?"**

** "Richard." He says decisively, "We're not in school anymore – in fact, I forbid you to call me 'Mr Scott'"**

** I giggle again. "Ok, ****_Richard_****!"**

** There's a pause, in which Claire turns the radio on. Everyone apart from me starts singing along to 'What makes you beautiful'. Hang on- ****_everyone_**** apart from me?**

** "I didn't know you liked One Direction, Mr Scott!" I giggle.**

** "And I didn't know I'd given you permission to call me 'Mr Scott'!"**

** "Sorry!" I laugh, and when 'Call me Maybe' comes on, I join in with the singing. But now I'm boiling, so I open the window. To my surprise, as soon as it's open it starts scrolling up again. I scroll it down. It scrolls up. It goes down. It goes up. Down, up, down, up.**

** "You're doing this, aren't you Mr… Richard?!" I say.**

** Richard laughs, "Yes, but at least get my name right! Don't open the window, it mucks up the air conditioning"**

** "****_Air conditioning_****?" I say disbelievingly "****_What_**** air conditioning?!"**

** "Ok, I'll turn it up…" As soon as the words have left his mouth, I'm hit by a blast of ice-cold air.**

** "EEK! Not that much!" I say hastily. The air conditioning goes down, but the car's starting to slow. Then it jolts, bumps, and stops. Richard presses the accelerator and I feel the wheels spin but then it finally moves. He manages to pull over onto the hard shoulder before the car stops completely. He jumps out wordlessly, followed by Miss Pri- er…Claire. I decide to follow, because it's EXCITING!**

** "Flat tire…" says Richard. Understatement of the century! The back tire is as flat as a particularly smooth pancake.**

** "Do you have a spare?" Claire looks worried.**

** "Yes… but it's quite difficult to get to." Says Richard "It's sort of ****_under _****the car and I don't think I'll be able to fit…"**

** "Well ****_I'm_**** not wriggling around on the road!" says Claire. They both look appealingly at me.**

** "Ok, I'll do it." I say, resigned to the fact that we'll never get there if I don't do this. Mr Scott solemnly …er, I mean – ****_Richard_**** solemnly hands me a screwdriver, and I kneel on the road. I peer under the car – there, I can see the spare tire.**

** Lying on my back, I wriggle under the car. Ouch! I bash my head on something – the tire. Feeling around on the greasy underneath of the car, I manage to find the screws that will release the tire.**

** I squirm out from under my geography teacher's car, tire grasped in my hand.**

** "Thanks," says Richard calmly. In a matter of minutes, the tire is changed and we're on our way to Graffham. I wonder how Richard knows the way.**

It's a very nice spot, plenty of room on each pitch, and between them too, and even a shady space in the middle to put the tables and cooker.

"This looks lovely!" Lisa says, echoing my exact thoughts.

"Yup, nice spot ya got 'ere. Plenty o' privacy, but you're all still a group." the person showing us round comments. MIKE, his name badge says. "Anyway, I suppose you'd better be gettin those tents o' yours up, eh?" he continues in an unhurried manner. "Oh, and the loos are up that path there, and the shop . . ." But at that point, I completely zone out. I'm roused from my vague daydream about what could possibly have happened to Izzy and co., by Lisa as she says, "well, haven't you, Alex?"

"I haven't what? I don't _think_ I've forgotten anything." I'm completely bamboozled, what _haven't_ I?

"Ain't ya been 'ere before, lass? Aye?"

"Oh, aye, that I 'ave," I reply laughing, finally understanding what I'm being asked. Everyone laughs too, no one harder, or louder, than Mike. Eventually, when he's finished explaining all the finer points of the campsite, he heads back off to reception, and we get out the tents.

Katie runs over to the largest pitch, "bagsie!" she yells. Amanda and I don't really care, so we begin setting up our tent in the middle sized, shady pitch, which both of us liked best anyway. Soon it's up, with only a few minor disagreements about which door should face where, and whether we should peg the tent, or the ropes down first (we got round that one by doing them at the same time).

Amanda extracts half a dozen chairs from the boot with difficulty. She opens one the wrong way up and puts it down. She tries turning it the other way up, and it folds up again. I pick one up and try myself. I can't say I'm much more successful really. I try giving it a kind of twist, and it pops up.

"There!" I cry in triumph, just as Amanda manages hers too. We both sit down. Unfortunately, Amanda doesn't look where she puts the chair legs, and one of them ends up resting on a tree root. I'm about to point this out, when the chair starts to tip. It's like watching a slow motion comedy scene, as Amanda is slowly and gently tipped to the ground. She lies there, shaking with uncontrollable giggles, making absolutely no attempt to get up. I'm in hysterics too, and this and this attracts the attention of the others.

"What happened to _you_, Amanda?" Lisa asks, shaking her head.

"She . ." I gasp, between giggles, "She fell off, . . off the _chair_!"

Seeing how much Amanda and I are laughing, she giggles too. "But how _did_ you manage _that_ Amanda?" Amanda looks up at us for the first time, propping herself up on her elbows. She shrugs helplessly, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks. The sight of her makes me laugh harder still, which I hadn't thought possible before now. Then Amanda catches sight of my face, now also wet with tears of laughter, and collapses forward again to lie face-down on the ground. My sides ache from laughing so much, and I think how much I really want to stop. This just makes it even more impossible though, and I lean back in my chair, utterly helpless. However, the back no longer seems to be there, and a moment later, I'm lying on my back, the chair on top of me, gazing up at a hysterical Tia. In her hands, she's clutching the back of my chair. I'm so weak, I can barely lift my arm to point at the green and white piece of fabric dangling above me.

"I only wanted to know if it came off!" Tia squeaks hysterically. I drop my arm and laugh harder than I think I ever have before. Tia's knees give way, and she collapses on the ground beside me. Katie and Lisa have to sit down too. After about five minutes, we've all just about calmed down. Then Amanda giggles again, and sets us off once more.

That's how Hannah, Amber and Mr Maloy find us ten minutes later, still lying on the ground, still laughing. Every time we think we've stopped, someone sets us off again, and we're helpless for another few minutes. The cycle could continue forever!

"What on earth happened to _you?" _Mr Maloy says in his strong Australian accent, eyeing us all rather evilly. Mr Maloy teaches R.S and maths (not at all a strange combination, right?) and is going out with our Geography teacher, Jemma. Patrick Maloy is a Nemean lion companion, and Jemma is a unicorn companion, and also mentors our friend Emmalina. Mr Maloy mentors Amber.

"Amanda fell off a chair!" Lisa informs him, then starts giggling again.

"Don't mind us, Patrick," Amanda says, from the ground looking up at him, "we're just having a bit of _fun_. You'll find it in the dictionary under 'F'." That sets us off again.

Mr Maloy ignores her, though maybe the evilness in his glare increases somewhat. "Come on Hannah, Amber, let's get the tent up." Amber sighs reluctantly, but does as she's told.

Ten minutes later, they have the tent up, and we've managed to calm down, properly.

"Oh, I _so ache_!" moans Katie. "You mustn't _do_ that Amanda, you could injure us by making us laugh so much!"

"Sorry," she says, picking herself up. "It isn't my fault Alex didn't warm me I'd put it on a tree root!"

"Oi!" I protest at volume, and grab a pillow from the boot of the car to hit her with. I'm just about to swing it, when Izzy and co. finally turn up. Claire looks completely stressed out, and even Richard looks fed up. As they jump out, I wonder vaguely what the black stuff on Izzy's forehead is. Oh well, guess I'll find out later. I hurry over to greet them.

**We climb out of the car to see the others sitting on the floor or chairs. For some unknown reason, Alex is holding a pillow. Studying them closer, I can't figure out what they could have been doing, they're all covered in dirt and bits of tree, especially Amanda. I don't bother to ask though.**

** "Hi Izzy! " says Alex "We got here ages ago! But you've got the last tent so we thought you ought to put it up…"**

** So we set to work. I mean, how hard can putting up a two-man tent be? The answer: VERY! We lay out the ground sheet, with the main body of the tent on top.**

** "Where are the poles?" asks Claire.**

** "Here," Richard opens a bag and tips out a pile of…pegs. "Apparently not!"**

** I open another bag, which ****_does_**** turn out to contain poles. I start putting them together.**

** "No – don't do the poles yet; we have to do the ropes first!" says Claire.**

** "No you don't!" I retort "You put the poles in first!"**

** "Actually, I think we do the pegs first." Adds Richard. I continue putting poles together. Claire untangles some ropes. Richard bangs in some pegs.**

** "You're doing it wrong, Richard!" says Claire.**

** "No I'm not!"**

** "I know more about tents than you do!"**

** "No you don't"**

** "You're both doing it wrong – we slot the poles in first!" I say. So I start slotting poles in and Claire decides to help, though Richard is still stubbornly hammering in pegs.**

** "No, Claire – that pole comes over here!" I say.**

** "Don't be silly – they're all the same!"**

** "No they're not – some are longer and that one's too short!" That's when Snowball, and another Frost Wolf puppy decide that our tent looks like a great place to play. They come racing up, wriggle through the door, and scamper round inside. Another one notices how fun it looks, and comes over, managing to get wrapped up in the ropes. He tries to scramble up, mucking up the tent in the process.**

** "Oh no!" says Claire, but doesn't try to do anything to help. I try untangling the one in the ropes while Richard attempts to get the other two out of the tent. It's now full of wrinkles and the ropes have gone everywhere.**

** "Ok," I say, taking charge for once. I push the canvas pile of tent back how it's meant to be and rearrange Claire's poles. Richard does something with pegs and ropes and tells me to pull on one. The tent comes up – sort of. We tie a lot of knots and hammer in the pegs a bit further and I think it's ok. Well, I'm sure I was right about the poles.**

"What, exactly, is that meant to _be_?" Amanda comments as we get back from fetching water from the pump. She indicates the two-man tent that Izzy, Claire and Richard have just finished putting up.  
"Well, it's _meant_ to be a tent, but I think it would be stretching the rules to call it that!" I decide, giggling. Amanda giggles too.  
"Don't set us off again, Amanda!" warns Lisa, "I'm trying to make tea here!"  
"Sorry!" Laughs Amanda, and decides that we are going to unpack. We grab our stuff from the car, and take it to our tent.  
We kick our shoes off at the entrance, and each un-zip our pods. I spread out my ground mat – one of those thin, uncomfortable pieces of foam - and lay my sleeping bag out on top of it. Then I begin on my other stuff. I put my pillow in the hood of my sleeping-bag, and place Misham (my cuddly horse) beside it. Then I lift out my books, phone, diary, torch, and other stuff and put them all in the tree pockets I'm entitled to. I push my stuff over to the right hand side, and place my blanket, neatly folded, at my feet. It looks very cosy, and I look forward to when Izzy and Bethany put their stuff in too. Then it will really feel like we're on holiday!  
I step out into the main area and begin opening the windows. Then I open all the doors so that just the fly-sheet is closed, meaning that air can get through, but not flies! I do the same to the pods. At that moment, Amanda and Claire appear carrying a large air mattress.  
"Lucky!" I exclaim.  
Amanda smiles sweetly in her most annoying way. "Claire brought it," she informs me. "Poor you having to sleep on a ground-mat!" I shove her, causing her to drop one end of the mattress on her toe. Ha! Revenge!  
I spend the next hour or so helping Izzy, Bethany, Claire, and Amanda unpack their stuff, and showing them how to do it _neatly_! Just as we have everything done, Jemma calls, "Supper everyone!"  
We all hurry to sit at the table. Jemma's vegetable soup is amazing, and everyone has seconds. She brings out jam tarts for afters.

Half an hour later, I'm in bed. Izzy is already asleep, but I can feel Bethany is still awake. Then I'm asleep.


	3. 3- Alex and Izzy are plunged into lakes

**_Right! The third chapter, and finally something about actual mythical companions! Hope you enjoy it! And if there is anything in this story that doesn't make sense, please tell us because we originally wrote this without meaning to upload it, and included stuff about our school and lives that we've had to change! And, as always, please point out any spelling/grammar mistakes too! All reviews, good or bad, are very much appreciated! :)_**

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"Alex!" a voice whispers loudly from outside our pod door. I pretend I didn't hear.

_"__I think I'll do wood work!" I decide, and walk over to the woodwork class that Miss Gold is taking. I lean on the railings of the boulevard, and gaze out across the dark, choppy sea. Miss Gold tips out a bag of nuts and bolts. Izzy picks out a load of stuff that she needs to build her robot._

_"__Haven't you brought any metal?" She asks me._

_"__No, were we meant to?"_

_"__Yes! You'd better join the art class!" So I do, leaving Izzy to assemble her robot. _

_Nobody notices when I slip into the art class late. It is being held in a café on the boulevard. Miss Jennings gives me paper and a pencil like the rest, then she goes to stand outside to keep watch. We take it in turns to watch with her. Tia goes first. They stand around not talking much, and I try to remember what they're watching for. That's it! A hurricane! I look out of the window too, the sky is dark and cloudy, but I can't see and hurricanes. I get on with my drawing, until Tia comes back in. Then I go out._

_"__Alex!" Miss Jennings says._

_"__Yes, um, Miss Jennings?" I reply. I'm scared, I nearly called her Amanda then!_

"Alex! For the third time! TRAINING!" Amanda hisses from just behind my head.

I groan, "Why so early, Amanda?"

"It's a lovely morning!"

"That didn't answer my question! Fine I'm coming!" I squeeze out of my sleeping bag as quietly as possible, and rummage around for my training suit. I pull the dry one out of my bag, and change swiftly into it. Deciding it will be cold outside, I pull my tracksuits on over it. Not an attractive look, but so be it! I wriggle out of our pod, undoing as little zip as possible so as to not wake the others. It _is_ cold out here, so I grab my coat to wear on top.

I join Amanda at the breakfast table. She was right about it being a lovely morning. It's cold but bright, and the sun sparkles off all the dew on the leaves and the spiders' webs.

"What time is it, Amanda?" I ask sleepily as I help myself to chocolate Weetabix.

"About six thirty. Why?" She replies, grinning.

"You're evil!" I decide, and carry on eating. When we're done, she gets up to make toast. I put my head on my arms and pretend to go back to sleep. I consider the dream I was having, random! I smile, trying to imagine Faye teaching woodwork, though I didn't actually see any wood! It's too early for giggling though. I sigh sleepily, breathing in the scent of burning toast. Then someone pokes me in the back.

"Go away, Amanda!" I grumble. "I don't want any charcolified toast if that's what you're gonna offer me!"

"Oh!" exclaims the person behind me.

I spin round. "You're not Amanda!" I accuse Jemma.

"You're not Lisa!" she sounds equally shocked to find me sitting there, not her friend. I look at her more closely, "You're already dressed, Jemma! What time did you get up?"

She looks at her watch, "about quarter to six!"

"Too early!" I declare. She's even washed her hair!

At that moment, Amanda comes back. "You _don't_ want any toast, do you Alex?" She enquires cautiously

"Not if you've turned it into toast-oxide!"

"If you mean have I burnt it . . ." she holds out two thoroughly black bits of toast.

"I'll give it a miss I think!" I grin, and she throws them away for the birds to eat.

"Lets go!" she announces. "Coming Jemma?"

"Sure!" My old geography teacher replies, and mounts Skye, her unicorn companion, who I had previously missed standing nearby. "I'll see you there!" Then she clicks her tongue, and Skye bounds off into the woods.

Amanda conjures fire, calls Firewater and Sunset, then we're off too.

"Ok, Alex! We're gonna be doing diving today!" Amanda informs me as we land.

"Cool!" I bounce about with excitement. "Epic!"

"You won't think so when you've fallen off a few times!" She warns me. Then she continues, "You've done 45 degree dives, now we're going to do 70 degrees! That is _much_ steeper."

"I figured!" I add statistically, but quite nervously too.

"Yes. Now, technique. There are two methods to use, each is equally effective. We'll try both, and you can decide for yourself which you find easier. For your grade three, you only need one, but for grade four, you need to know, and be able to perform, both." She pauses for breath. "The first method involves leaning forward and flattening yourself against Firewater's back. Keep as close to him as possible, and for now, it may help to link your arms round his neck. Make sure you knees are well behind his wing joints, that will help keep you on. Lets try! I'll demonstrate first."

She mounts Sunset, and they take off high into the air. Then sunset dives, and my mentor flattens herself against her companion. I can see why it works, Amanda is so flat, that the wind rushes over her and Sunset at the same time. She won't slip off forward because her knees are firmly wedged behind Sunset's wing joints. She lands neatly beside us again.

"Your turn!" She announces cheerfully, then seeing I'm scared says, "It'll be fine, Alex! Good luck! And you know how to fall into water even if the worst does happen!" Huge comfort!

I mount Firewater nervously, and we take off. _This isn't quite as fun as I thought, is it Flame? _I comment to him as we fly higher and higher.

_No, _he replies, _on three? _I nod. _Three, two, one, DIVE!_ I flatten myself as close as I can to his back, but my arms aren't long enough to reach round his neck. I close my eyes, and cling on for all I'm worth, the wind rushing over us. He seems to be diving for ages before he calls _land_ through our encounter. I struggle to remember the landing position, but I think I left it up in the sky, along with my insides. I cling on hopefully, but of course it doesn't work. I slither down his back, and end up in his long tail, my eyes still shut.

"Well done, Alex!" Amanda cries delightedly. I finally open my eyes. Jemma is standing above me, and she extends her hands to help me up. I take them, and manage to stand upright, if a little wobbly.

"That was superb, Alex!" I grin broadly, partly because Jemma is the only person I've ever heard say 'superb', but mainly because _**I did it**_**!**

Amanda hi-fives me with both hands –does that make it a hi-ten? "Well done!" She says again. "I really didn't think you'd stay on the first time!"

"I didn't!" I point out.

"Well, you did during the dive! That's the bit that counts for now! And I've changed my mind. We're not going to do the other method today."

"Yay!" I cheer.

She smiles at me in that slightly evil way of hers. "We're going to do coming up out of a dive!"  
"Aawwww!" I groan in a sort of pantomime-style.

"Thought you'd like it!" She comments. "So, we've done rising before," I nod, "but we haven't really done it out of a dive. So you need to change position in that second Firewater is neither diving or rising." I nod again. "So to do that you need to let go the diving position, and let yourself slide forward so your knees are in front of his wing joints." This sounds scary, but I nod. "Then from there, just adopt the rising position. Ok?"

"Right . . ." I nod unsurely.

"Ok, I'll demonstrate." She proceeds to take off high into the air, and dive down. About a metre before Sunsets begins to rise again, she lets go all her grip and slides smoothly forward into rise position. She did it so smoothly that I'm not even sure what she did.

"Ok to go, Alex?" She asks when they land perfectly back beside us. I nod, though it's not the answer I would like to give.

"Good luck!" Jemma says fervently.

"Thanks, I'll need it!"

Firewater and I take off. I can feel feel Firewater is nervous too, even though he has nothing to worry about. When we reach the top of the dive, he shoots downwards at the 70 degrees Amanda wants. I fold into position, shutting my eyes again. _Not a good idea_! Firewater warns me as we hurtle through the air. I realise he's right, and snap them open again. At what I judge to be the right moment, I let go. I slip forward and attempt to jam my knees where I think Firewater's wings are but in the whirl of red feather, and blue and black training suit, I miss. I shut my eyes again, and what ever I do, they won't open. A second later I hit the freezing water in a tight ball. I could have sworn I was lying flat a moment ago! There's no time to think about that though, because I need air. I come to the surface coughing and cold, but safe. I grin, falling off is actually quite fun! I swim back to shore and heave myself out. Amanda and Jemma greet me enthusiastically.

"Nice!" Amanda looks very pleased, even though I fell off. "Most people don't let go! You did that, and that's the main battle overcome! Just need to work on controlling where you slide to now!"

"You don't say?" I laugh.

Jemma looks worried. "Are you ok? That was some fall!"

"Of course I am! It was great fun!"

She shakes her head disbelievingly. "You high-flyers, so strange!"

"Just cause two-fours are too scared to leave the ground!" Amanda teases her unicorn companion friend.

"Pegasi can fly!" Jemma argues, laughing.

At that moment a shout from by the jetty gets our attention. "Hey!" yells Bethany.

"Ahoy!" I call back, and begin running over to them. As I run, Firewater joins me by my shoulder. We chat quickly through our encounter about the dives and how we want to try again later.

When I arrive, panting slightly, I hear Claire say. "Right Izzy, mount up, you're going flying on Stormswept!" _Wow! That'll be the first time!_ I think excitedly to myself, and hurry over to watch.

**"Ok," I say "Let's do this, Stormswept!" **

_**Yes, let's! **_**says Stormswept, ****excitedly. I suddenly become aware that everyone is starring at us. "Go away! It's not that exciting!"**

**"Yes it is!" says Alex "It is your first time flying Stormswept!"**

**"And I obviously need to be here!" insists Claire "I am your mentor!"**

**"Me too!" adds Bethany. I glare around at the others, my evil gaze lingering on some people longer than others. But oh well.**

**I stick my hand out and put it on her neck, then swing my right leg over her back as I have often practised with Bethany's companion, Thunderbolt. I lean forwards, lying between Stormswept's wings. Suddenly, before I can really get my balance, we're off.**

**Stormswept soars off across the lake, with me clinging on madly. I can feel her wing-joints moving under me with every flap of her forest green wings. We swoop, loop, and dive into the ice-cold, grimy water. I come up coughing and soaking wet. ****_Stormswept, wait!_**** I yell this through our magical bond because my mouth's still full of lake. I spit it out, spluttering.**

**Stormswept stops in mid-air, guilty. ****_Sorry,_**** she says apologetically ****_Can we go? I love flying… _**

**I laugh; it's hard to stay annoyed at my dragon companion for long. ****_Ok, let's go!_**

**We're off again, shooting the length of the lake, before flipping over backwards and gliding back, slowing as we approach the centre of the lake. She flips up again, and I tumble from her back. SPLOSH! I let myself sink down into the muddy water, enjoying the feeling of icy water around me. There's a lot of weed down here, and everything is silent. But then I feel scales beneath me and I emerge from the water, somehow back on my companion's back. **

**I hang on desperately as we roll sideways through the air. How does Stormswept even do it? Eventually we're the right way up again and flying sensibly towards the bank. Unfortunately, Stormswept isn't one for careful landings, so the next thing I know I'm lying on the ground staring up at everyone.**

**"Are you ok, Izzy?" says Alex, trying not to giggle.**

**"Fine" I sit up "Did you see all those loops we did, Claire? Skill, right?"**

**Claire laughs and Bethany high-fives me. "At least three, Izzy! But… I dunno… you might need to work on landings a bit!"**

**"You think?" I joke. I make my way back to the tent to change into dry clothes.**

"Ahhhhh," Amber croons, "Stormswept is soooooooo cute!"

"Don't let Stormswept hear you say that!" Bethany replies, "She likes to think of herself as big and fierce. But, yeah, she is quite sweet!"

Firewater makes himself parrot sized and flies to my shoulder. He tilts his head, and gazes at Amber with his big brown eyes.

"Sorry, Firewater. You're cute too!" Amber says, smiling at him. I laugh, just like Firewater, he can't stand to be outdone.

_Show off! _I scold him through our private encounter. He opens his beak cheekily, laughing.

Then I have an idea. "Ruby?" I say, "shall we show our trick?"

Ruby is a great eagle companion, and Richard is her mentor. She's quite small, with short brown hair, and sometimes, a short temper too! She always has to be doing something, and loves taking risks.

"Yeah!" she replies, eager to show off. Amanda and Richard cheer, they've seen it before, but what they don't know is that we've got in synchronised! I grin at Ruby as we mount our companions. Then we're off.

We do one lap around the lake, then turn straight down the centre line. The two birds swoop together towards the murky water. When they're about two metres from the surface, Ruby and I glance up, nod, then dive, inwards, off our companions. We hit the water at _roughly_ the same moment, and about a foot apart. I surface about a second later than Ruby, which always happens, and we grab hands. When our companions hit the water, we put our hands in the air, and wave to the audience with our free ones. Then we turn and lie flat on the water, letting go our hands. Firewater and Gwihir, Ruby's companion, lift out of the water with us on their backs. Only, I'm on Gwihir! I glance at Ruby who looks just as shocked as I do to find herself on Firewater.

"Carry on as though we planned this!" I yell to Ruby. She nods, and we turn to fly our lap of honour around the lake. I have ridden Gwihir before a couple of times, though no one except me, Ruby, and our companions know this. From the silence on the shore, I can tell they're impressed, people don't normally ride each other's companions.

When we land, we're met with a huge round of applause. We place a hand on our companions' beaks, then grab hands in the air, as people on stage might do after a show, and bow. Everyone cheers again. I turn to Gwihir, still smiling, and pat him on the beak. Next to me, Ruby is scratching Firewater's head, which he is clearly loving. Gwihir nudges my hand with his beak. Even though I can't actually talk to him, I know what he wants, so I continue to pet him.

"That was brilliant, guys!" It's Izzy, now in her dry training suit.

"Thanks! That was quick!" I reply.

"Oh, Stormy fetched it for me, it was only slightly singed when she got back!" She pats her dragon companion, and Stormswept nods proudly.

"See, very cute!" I hear Amber whisper to Bethany.


	4. 4 - Lisa is hit by a dragon

_**Sorry we have been so long in uploading! From now on, we're aiming to upload every other Thursday/Friday so hopefully we will manage to follow that!**_

_**Enjoy and review!**_

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**I decide that, since I am already wet, I might as well go swimming. Alex takes off her hoodie, and together we charge along the jetty and jump in. It's cold and wet and lakey. My literary skills are the best, right?**

** We come up at the same time, facing each other. Then, for no apparent reason, we start giggling like mad. And then we can't stop. We just tread water and giggle.**

** "What ****_are _****you two laughing about?" says Jemma in puzzlement, from the jetty. Because we have no idea, we just laugh more.**

** "Are you coming in, Jemma?" I ask, when the giggling fit has worn off.**

** "No." she says firmly "It's too cold!"**

** "Aw, spoil sport!" teases Alex. Looking round, I see that most of the others are in (or trying to get in, anyway) by now, apart from Claire and Richard who are standing on the Jetty. Arguing. Surprise, surprise!**

** "Oh, come on!" I say to my old geography. "It's not ****_that _****cold!"**

** "No!" she insists, laughing.**

** "Or we'll make you!" I decide.**

** "No, you won't!" She grins and walks off. I dive underwater again, sinking through the cold blackness. My feet soon touch the stony bottom of the lake, and I push off and come back to the surface. It's freezing in the water, but it's refreshing after the heat of the day.**

** "Let's ****_make_**** Jemma come in!" I whisper to Alex. We swim to where it is shallow enough to stand up, and wade out of the lake. Then we walk down the jetty past Richard and Claire, who are still arguing.**

** "Oh, don't be so ****_silly!" _****says Richard.**

** "Shut up!" snaps Claire "I don't care!" she sits down on the edge of the jetty and slides into the water. Richard turns and walks back down to the bank of the lake. Jemma is sitting near the end of the jetty, with her legs dangling in the water. She is just ****_asking _****for it.**

** I give her a shove, and she yelps as she falls into the water.**

** "Izzy!" she rages, laughing, without looking round. Then she does turn round, pretending to be mad at me. Alex and I fall about laughing. I hear an Emmalina Giggle behind me, and before I can turn around I'm in the water beside Jemma.**

** I swim back to the surface and giggle, wiping water from my eyes. "Emmalina!" She and Alex are laughing from the jetty, and then they jump in beside Jemma and me.**

** We swim over to where all the others are, mucking about with the companions.**

** "Anybody want to have a race?" says Richard.**

** "Me!" says Emmalina "Coming, Izzy?"**

** "Sure!" I say. "But I'll lose!"**

** "I know!" she says, grinning. "I know I'll never beat Richard, and I don't want to come ****_last!"_**

** "Where shall we race to?" says Richard.**

** "What about that island over there?" I suggest.**

** "Sure!" says Emmalina. So we set off, and Richard is ahead of me and Emmalina immediately. I'm not actually behind her yet, but there is still a long way to go. I am actually trying to win; I just suck at being ****_fast!_**

** Naturally, Richard ****_does_**** win. And equally naturally, I come last. Emmalina and I scramble out to explore the mini island, while Richard swims back – presumably to have another argument with Claire.**

** The trees on this island are densely packed like people at a concert. There's a little clearing in a dip in the middle, but that's basically it. So we swim back to the jetty, where one of the others proposes that we have our picnic lunch.**

**So we settle down on the jetty to have lunch. I sit on the edge with Alex, dangling our legs in the water as we eat our sandwiches. Claire and Richard are arguing about sandwiches, of all things. Claire said she wanted cream cheese… Richard never got told that… Claire doesn't like cucumber… that isn't Richard's fault… etc. And I thought it was only me who didn't like cucumber!**

** I gaze across the lake. It's so pretty, sparkling in the sunlight. I wish I hadn't left my camera back at the tent; it would make a lovely photo. By this point, Claire and Richard have moved onto arguing about benefits and everyone's taking sides. Richard's team, which includes Jemma and Bethany, are firmly for benefits and against 'benefit cuts'. It's all very dull, really.**

** "You know," I remark to Alex, "Wouldn't life be boring if we hadn't joined the society?"**

** "Yeah," she agrees, "Yeah, it would." Firewater lands on her shoulder, and we sit in happy silence, filled only with the sound of Claire yelling at Richard.**

"Well that was a very nice-" SPLOSH! I hit the water as someone pushes me off the jetty from behind. I inhale a mouthful of lake water, and come up gasping and choking. It tastes _disgusting_, not to mention the fact I can't _breathe_!

"NOODLE!" I screech at no on one in particular when I manage to find some oxygen to breathe again. "What did you do _that_ for?" Considering I have no idea who it was, I'm surprised when I get an answer.

"It wasn't my fault!" Richard protests, clearly assuming I thought it was him. I rub the water from my eyes, and play along with it.

"Whose was it then?" I demand. "Wait! Don't tell me! It was Claire's, wasn't it?"

He opens his mouth, then closes it again, and I know I guessed right. Everyone on the jetty roars with laughter, including Richard and Claire for once.

"It was actually!" Claire adds, still giggling.

"Whoa! That's the first time they've agreed on something _all holiday_!" teases Tabitha.

"I tried to push him in, but he dodged and I pushed you instead! Sorry, Alex!" Claire extends her hands to help me out again. I grab them, and pull.

She shrieks, and flops with a large splash into the water on top of me. We both surface, gasping, but unhurt.

She makes a dive for me. "You're _evil_! That's what you are! Pure _EVIL!"_ I plunge away as fast as I can, eager for a chase. I've always thought of myself as quite a good swimmer, but compared to Claire, I look like a Flower Sprite in an ocean. Claire is the Kraken.

She catches up with me easily, but I twist away, making sharp turns, and sudden dives to avoid her. I'm not exactly small, but I'm shorter than her, so my technique keeps her off for a while. Inevitably though, she manages to catch hold of me properly, and dunks me underwater for a couple of seconds, before letting me up.

"All right! You win!" I pant. I'm out of breath, not so much from being dunked underwater, but from the exercise I just got! "I surrender! Where d'you learn to swim so well?"

"Uni!" She smiles smugly. "_I_ was women's captain!"

"Wow! That's well cool!" I exclaim, impressed. At least I no longer feel bad that she was able to catch me so easily!

"So how are we going to get the others in?" She grins. "Do you reckon they'll come gladly, or will we have to make them?"

**I watch happily as Alex and my mentor swim slowly back to shore together, and help myself to another sandwich. Apparently the two have declared a truce. I tune into Bethany, Amber and Katie's conversation going on behind me, and eventually join in. That's how I don't notice that Claire and Alex have suddenly got so close.**

** I feel a pair of hands grab me by the waist, then suddenly I'm in the water beside a giggling Claire. After a moment of being stunned by the cold water, I realise what Alex and Claire are doing, and make up my mind that it will be far more entertaining to help, than to pretend to be annoyed at being suddenly dragged into a freezing lake. I dive towards Richard, Patrick and Tabitha who haven't yet noticed the commotion at this end of the jetty.**

** I begin by grabbing Tabitha's feet, and pulling as hard as I can. She screams, and clings onto the jetty for dear life, with only her legs in the water. However luckily for me, and unluckily for her, Patrick decides to be a good sport for once, and carefully removes her clutching fingers. She slides in beside me, and immediately starts a water-fight by splashing half the lake at me, and getting Amanda over my head.**

** A hard shove from Richard lands Patrick in the water, and a well-aimed kick from Ruby sends Richard in after him. I watch Alex pull Katie in, shrieking with laughter, and Emmalina push Tia, before following her in. The four of them promptly start a water-fight of their own which I'm tempted to join in with, but don't. There's one more thing I have to do!**

** I silently dive under water, letting the coldness envelop me. Then I kick out hard, and swim under the jetty, to surface in front of Jemma on the other side. This time, however, she is expecting me. I receive a lunchbox-full of water in the face; whether she was intending that for me, or just anyone who tried to pull her in, I don't know. But it doesn't matter. It still all went in my face.**

** "Revenge, Izzy!" she laughs, watching me give her the evils.**

** "Precisely what I was thinking!" I lunge for her ankles, but sadly someone else gets there first. The look of surprise on Jemma's face is wonderful, as she flies forward into the lake beside me. She emerges at my elbow, doing the unsuccessful combination of choking and laughing at the same time.**

** "I'm Queen of the Jetty!" Lisa crows, dancing about and waving her arms in the air. It's true. Everyone except Lisa is now in the water, pulled in my either me Alex or Claire, or shoved from behind by someone who decided to help our cause.**

** However Lisa doesn't know my companion. Stormswept gets jealous of other people having fun without her at the best of times, but a large-scale water-fight is just too much to miss. She begins to charge towards the jetty from where she had settled herself on the beach.**

**_Stormy! No!_**** I yell through our encounter. She takes no notice, if she heard me at all. She just keeps on charging.**

** Lisa still hasn't noticed her fate; she is busy boasting about her dryness to her audience of one: me. Everyone else is still engrossed in water-fighting.**

**Stormswept only just notices in time that that wooden planking sticking out into the lake is not going to take her weight, and throws herself into the air. However it's still too late for Lisa. The flower Sprite companion is swept into the lake with rather a lot of hyper baby dragon. Not something even I would want to do, but it puts an end to her dry clothes and neat hair.**

** After a few seconds of shocked fury, she graciously accepts Defeat by Dragon, and joins in splashing Patrick with as much energy as I put into throwing waterweed at anyone who looks too clean.**

**The water-fight is eventually broken up by Bethany's suggestion that we show her, and everyone else, the island. Not everyone comes however; just Claire, Richard, Bethany and Hannah.**

**This time, the island seems much more interesting. It's probably down to the fact that I'm running about on it playing "it" with other society members, and that it has a name; Sea-Snakes Island. Claire decided on the name after winning the first game of 40/40!**


	5. 5 - In which we race back to camp

**_Yay! The next chapter! And I think we even managed to keep our target of uploading two weeks later!_**

**_Just because I want something else to say in this note, we will soon be editing previous chapters (Mainly 1 & 2) because we noticed the other day just how little sense they made! Enjoy and review! ;D_**

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I heave myself out of the lake and onto the jetty, exhausted. Everyone – well, mostly everyone – has been swimming all afternoon, and now, after that water fight, I'm too tired; or maybe just not bothered.

I lie back across the width of the jetty, the top of my head not quite touching the other side. Just for the experiment, I shuffle my bottom further on, and slide backwards, so that I can see the water the other side.

"What are you doing, Alex?" Tabitha inquires with interest. She's sitting next to Lisa on the jetty, closer to the shore than me. I can't think of an answer to that, and I say as much.

She smiles, "fair enough!"

"What time is it?" I ask, changing the subject entirely. She rummages through the bag of stuff which she was organised enough to bring, and eventually pulls out a large, blue watch.

"About five," she informs me, giving me the watch for proof, and so that she can rummage in her bag for something else.

"That's getting quite late!" Lisa exclaims from Tabitha's other side. We're the only three people on the jetty, and it's actually very peaceful; for once on camp. "Someone ought to be getting back to make supper!"

"Feel free!" I grin. I mean, _I'm_ not going!

"You're right actually, Lisa." Tabitha sighs, and stands up, brushing herself off. "We probably should be getting back now. Do you have your whistle?"

"Whistle?" I exclaim, confused.

"All good camp leaders have a whistle, Alex!" Lisa laughs. "You should know that! I blow it, and everyone comes back! Look!" She proceeds to blow hard on it, forcing me and Tabitha to block our ears quickly. "That _should_ call everyone back!"

"Yes, I expect even the stone sprites heard that!" grumbles Tabitha, though not seriously, massaging her ears. "The ones in Australia!"

"Right, we just have to hope they actually _come_ now! How many should there be?" Eventually we decide that there are seventeen of us. We think so anyway.

First to arrive back are Jemma and Patrick from a nearby log where they have been sitting chatting. "Five!" Lisa counts aloud.

Then Amanda emerges from the woods, both Phoenix on her shoulders, and Faye beside her. "Seven!" calls Lisa.

"Well, we have _most_ adults, and one child so far," summarises Lisa, still in charge. "Not doing too well yet!" She blows her whistle again.

This time Tia, Katie, Emmalina, Amber and Ruby are spotted swimming hard across the lake from the opposite bank, where they have probably been exploring. They soon join us on the jetty. "Twelve!" We wait for another few minutes, but no one else turns up. No one needs the register to know who is missing.

"Claire, Richard, Hannah, Isobel, and Bethany if I'm not mistaken." Lisa sighs. She isn't. "It would be!" I have to say I agree. "Amanda," she throws her the whistle. "Go fly up the other end of the lake and blow it for me. Thanks, it's just that you can't ride a flower sprite!"

Amanda nods, and she and Sunset zoom off down the lake on their mission.

"Let's race back!" Amber decides, squeezing her wet black hair out over the edge of the jetty. Everyone agrees, except Jemma and Faye.

"No companions – you have to do it yourself!" She continues outlining the rules she's making up on the spot. "And you can take any route you like, and it's a non-contact sport!" She concludes.

By the time everyone has finished disputing every part of it, the missing people are almost back. Amanda returns, and eventually the others, panting hard and looking annoyed at being stopped mid-fun.

Soon they have been told about the race too, and Sandstorm, Claire's dragon companion, releases a plume of flame to signify the start. Everyone dashes off in the direction of the road we used to get here.

However I am sure the road takes a long way round, and since I'm not a competitive sort of person, I resolve to try a small path I can see that leaves opposite the jetty, and seems to go more directly back to camp. I decide I'm an explorer, then change my mind, and decide I'm one of the _Swallows_ or _Amazons,_ exploring a new part of Coniston Water, despite the fact that this lake is nowhere near the Lake District.

I set off jogging along the narrow path, overgrown with bracken, and cross my fingers tightly. If this works, I'll be back way before anyone else and able to show off, if I'm not, it probably means I'll be utterly lost and will get back sometime late this evening. I don't like that thought.

That's when I realise I still have Tabitha's watch from when she handed it to me. _Oh good,_ I think, and start the timer. That's when I realise the full extent of the awesomeness of Tabitha's watch. It's analogue, but has a timer, and a smaller dial that say the day of the week (even if it is wrong), and a sort of dial that tells me it's the ninth of December. Definitely wrong! But what can you use an analogue watch for? A compass!

I think hard back to what my dad told me ages ago; "Point the hour hand at the sun, then bisect the angle between the hour hand and the twelve. The one if it's Summer Time."

Strapping it firmly round my wrist, I do as he said. The sun is to my left, and slightly behind. I point the hour hand at it, and bisect the angle between the five and the one. One end of the line I'm imagining, points straight down the path in front, the other behind.

_ That means I'm going south! And the sun came through our tent door this morning, so that means I am going the right way!_

I smile, pleased that the combined efforts of my dad and Girls Guides has taught me something other than how to make flat pancakes on a campfire! _Although,_ I think, grinning to myself, _that might actually come in handy on this particular trip!_

After a few more minutes of jogging, and listing the things Guides _has_ taught me just to entertain myself (I come up with a few knots, the correct method required to remove brambles from a rockery, that huge and hairy spiders really _are_ that scary, and a large variety of party games.) I arrive at a sandy clearing. Several paths lead off it, and I wonder worriedly which to take, until I realise it's a _pitch_! I take the largest, guessing it will lead me back to the main track.

It does, and in no time, I find myself back among our tents in camp.

I flop down under the trees in the centre, stop the timer at seven minutes fifty seconds and two hundredths of a second, and wait, enjoying the unusual peace of the pitches.

That peace does not last long.

"I _WIN!_" yells Claire at full volume, charging into the centre of camp from the road. She stops short when she sees me.

"What are you doing here, Alex?" She demands, looking annoyed. "You didn't pass me!"

"No, I took my own-"

"SECOND!" bellows Bethany, dashing up beside Claire. She too stops and looks surprised. "Alex! How did you get here so fast?" she pants.

Again I try to explain that I've discovered a new path to the lake, but again, I'm interrupted.

"Am I third?" Emmalina appears behind Claire and Bethany, barely out of breath at all. That's just Emmalina I guess. "Oh, forth by the looks of it!" She adds when she catches sight of me. "Great trick! How d'you-"

"Get here so fast?" I finish for her. She nods, and giggles. "I-"

For the third time, my story telling is delayed. Katie and Tia come hurtling towards us, each yelling that they're going to beat the other, and drowning out my attempts at an explanation.

"I got here first!" gasps Katie triumphantly.

"No you didn't!" protests Tia, laughing.

"You drew!" Claire decides this for them, and neither have enough breath, or are actually bothered enough, to disagree.

After that, people kind of forget about my miraculous appearance, and begin discussing the race. It sounds as though it was fun, and I almost wish I could have joined them rather than taking my own way. However, my new route has meant that I've got to watch everyone else return without the discomfort of being completely out of breath!

It takes a few minutes for the rest of the camp to return, in varying stages of breathlessness.

After Katie and Tia, Hannah is next to return, panting hard and clutching a stitch in her side. Richard comes after her, bright red, and also gasping for breath. Claire opens her mouth, presumably to remind him that she won, but he gets there first.

"Yeah, I know, Claire, you won!" he gasps between breaths. "Give me a break!" After that, he flops down on one of the camping chairs under the centre trees, and dramatically pretends to die.

Then Tabitha and Ruby return, breathing heavily, but not looking as though they tried all that hard. Patrick next, looking completely exhausted, as well as embarrassed that over half the camp beat him without trying as hard, and after a short while, Amanda and Lisa. Lisa, bright red and utterly exhausted, and my mentor beside her, not looking that puffed out at all. Lisa, like Richard, immediately flops down in a chair, supper, for now, forgotten about.

Amber and Izzy come charging in a few seconds later, laughing and both declaring that they won. They both look as though they _have_ been running, but gave up on that after a while, and just decided to race to the finish. Still arguing playfully, they come to join me at the roots of the largest of the trees where I've chosen to flop, and they tell me the main events of the race, and I tell them about the new route I discovered.

A few minutes after that, Jemma and Faye arrive, clearly having walked all the way back, and Lisa remembers that it is quarter to six, and supper needs making.

**Lisa makes sausages and mash for supper, which Emmalina decides to help her with. We sit down to eat it on the wobbly camping chairs, and I'm sitting between Alex and Bethany.**

** "Good mash, Lisa!" says Claire.**

** "Emmalina made it." Lisa admits.**

** "Good mash, ****_Emmalina!" _****Claire amends.**

** "She's a girl of many talents!" grins Richard, "Pass the mustard, Alex!" Emmalina grins shyly.**

** "Where do you live, Emmalina?" I wonder, "and what school do you go to?"**

** "I live in Marlow by the river and I got to Borlase." She says quietly.**

** "Cool!" I wave my sausage-ified fork in the air in a way my mum would certainly not approve of. "I live in Marlow too! D'you know Hannah Filmore?"**

** "Yeah! Where 'bouts do you live?"**

** "Woah!" says Richard. "Isobel and Emmalina are… talking!" Everyone laughs at this comment, including us. I guess that Emmalina, like me, is famous for ****_not_**** talking.**

** "Seymour Plain. Up on the hill, sort of near Marlow Bottom." I answer.**

** "Cool!" she says, which marks the end of the conversation. Instead I join in with the others discussing companions species.**

** "Dragons are ****_so _****the best!" half- jokes Claire.**

** "True that." I comment.**

** "Rubbish!" protests Richard, probably just for the sake of disagreeing with Claire. "I think you'll find that the advantages of having a Great Eagle as your companion are much greater than…"**

** "But we can conjure fire!" protests Bethany. "What are the powers of a great eagle anyway?" Richard's explanation is drowned out by everyone else putting forward their own companion species rather loudly.**

** "Phoenix are best!" Alex giggles from beside me.**

** "Unicorns!"**

** "Storm birds!"**

** "Nemian lions!"**

** "Dragons!"**

** "Great eagles!"**

** "Dragons!"**

** "Great –"**

** "Oh, be quiet!" Tabitha interrupts. "You two are giving me a headache! Are you going to be like this the entire time?"**

** "Yes." Say both Claire and Richard at once. Well, at least they were honest.**

** "Well I'm going to wash up." Says Tabitha, "and then we should do a campfire or something!"**


	6. 6- In which Hannah conjures marshmallows

_**Still on target for uploading every fortnight . . .**_

_**And something randomly funny that we want to share . . . When we went to upload the first chapters of this story, Alex accidentally typed "Amanda falls off a fanfic", instead of "Amanda falls off a chair fanfic". We laughed so much that we just had to swap a noun for the word "fanfic" in all the others too! So we did . . . **_

_**In which fanfics are vaporised.**_

_**In which fanfics are plunged into lakes**_

_**In which Lisa is hit by a fanfic**_

_**In which we race fanfics**_

_**In which Hannah conjures fanfics**_

_**Izzy says REVIEW! (Izzy also thinks that Alex's . . .s are stupid…)**_

* * *

** "Let's do a campfire!" Amber's suggestion is met with roars of approval and we set off into the woods to look for fuel. Hurrying along, almost in the lead for once, I successfully manage to trip over Stormswept's tail. Or unsuccessfully, it depends how you look at it. Anyway, I trip over and end up face-down in a muddy pile of twigs and leaves. Stormswept noses me, checking I'm ok.**

** I get to my feet, giggling. We charge on ahead, not really looking for firewood at all. Nobody else seems to be either, just running around madly. Bethany trips over a log and pushes Amanda into Tabitha. Lisa falls into a large clump of bracken. Emmalina trips over Snowball and almost pushes Alex into some stinging nettles.**

** "eheu!" she exclaims "urticae!" I start giggling, while everyone else just stands looking puzzled.**

** I shake my head, still giggling. "caudeces!"**

** "asini!" agrees Alex. ***

** "Shall we collect some ****_wood_**** now?" says Ruby, starting to get irritated.**

** "Oh, all ****_right_****…" I say, pretending to moan. Bethany picks up a large stick and lightly bonks me on the head with it. I grab one of my own and engage in a 'sword fight' with her. We grab armfuls of wood, which we all end up dropping when Richard makes a stupid joke and we all collapse laughing. Mr Maloy falls over a log and sets us off giggling again.**

** We make it back to our tents eventually, where we start trying to make a fire. Lisa says she can do it, but I start to doubt that when her attempt fails miserably. Claire decides to try and she and Richard disagree, culminating, yet again, in an argument.**

** "No, we have to stack it like ****_this!_****" insists Claire.**

** "Rubbish, just pile it up!" argues Richard.**

** "How are we going to light it, anyway?" interjects Tabitha, breaking up the argument. Thunderbolt answers this question by blasting the lopsided pile of sticks with dragon-fire.**

** "Great!" Lisa looks around. "Anyone got marshmallows?"**

** "****_I've_**** got marshmallows!" says Hannah, producing a packet from each of her pockets. Goodness knows why she's got them - I guess it's just the sort of thing she carries round! We all grab a spare stick and a marshmallow, apart from Tia because she's vegetarian, and Faye, because she says she doesn't like them.**

** I put the end of my stick in the flames, watching as the pink marshmallow turns dark. When I bight into it it's soft and sweet. I lick my sticky lips and gaze dreamily into the orange fire. ****_Dragon fire._**

** "Claire!" I yell across the circle. "Can dragons eat marshmallows?"**

** Claire shakes her head, not in answer but as if coming out of deep thought. "Um…er, yes, I suppose…Um…yeah."**

** "Thanks!" I laugh and toss a marshmallow to Stormswept. She leaps up, blasts it with fire to toast it instantly, before catching it in her mouth. She comes up to me, giving me a look I know means 'didn't I do well?'.**

** I laugh. "Yes, very skilful, Stormy!" She curls up and dozes off, and I get my book; the third Pegasus which Alex leant me. I'm so absorbed by it that I don't realise almost all the marshmallows have gone.**

** I reach over for the last one, but Bethany reaches out at the same time. We slowly lean closer and closer, eviling each other, even though we're smiling. Closer, closer, inches away, then suddenly lunge. After a short tussle I come away victorious, the sticky white marshmallow clenched in my fist. Bethany glares, but in a friendly sort of way. I toast my marshmallow and feel very smug as I eat it. Yum.**

I pull the blanket slightly closer around me and Amanda because, despite being the middle of July, it's half nine and a bit chilly. I'm reading _Enchanted Glass_ by Diana Wynne Jones as we all sit round the campfire chatting. Soon, I become aware that Amanda is reading it over my shoulder so I move the book so she can read better. Clearly she doesn't have any more interest in the discussion about Justin Bieber than I do.  
"Do _you_ like Justin Bieber, Alex?" Ruby calls.  
"Not much," I reply, without making any attempt to join in the discussion. I hate Justin Bieber's songs in reality, but I can't be bothered to say this as it would probably mean being dragged in to join Tia's side in the fierce belief that he's awful.  
We carry on with the book. It's quite a good bit, and Amanda pauses to read it over again. She hasn't read much of it, so she probably has no idea what's happening. To be honest, I'm a bit confused, especially as I'm so tired that I'm not really concentrating!

I let her read and glance across the circle we've formed around the fire. Most people are still discussing Justin Bieber. Tia, Patrick and Bethany are supporting the 'he's awful' side. Hannah, Ruby, Katie and Amber think he's amazing.

Faye and Richard are laughing about something, and Jemma is sat next to them talking to Lisa and Tabitha. They're discussing the frost wolf pups, and Emmalina is listening, although not joining in.

Claire is sitting on the other side of Amanda, and is staring vaguely into the fire. Izzy sits on her other side and is reading the third Pegasus book which I've leant her. I look back to Claire, wondering if she wishes she was sharing Izzy's book, as Amanda is mine. I realise she's looking at me and I quickly look back to my book.  
I read again for a few minutes, not really taking it in because of the peaceful sleepiness that's making my eyes hold a different opinion on reading to my brain. Then my sleepy gaze rests on Claire again, and I see she's fallen asleep, curled up in her blanket on the ground sheet. I catch Izzy's eye and giggle.  
"Sweet," I mouth at her.  
She grins back. "You'd have thought it would have been one of us who fell asleep!"  
I giggle again, and Amanda looks questioningly at me. I nod in Claire's direction and she smiles too.  
We laugh, our books forgotten. Then I spot Hannah, waving madly to get our attention.  
"Hide!" She says in a stage whisper, pointing at Claire.  
"Oh, that's _so mean_ Hannah!" Lisa laughs in mock disbelief. Then we all start giggling hysterically at the thought of what Claire will do when she wakes up.  
We make so much noise as we all scramble away that I'm surprised we don't wake Claire. Stifled giggles and muffled "AWWWWs" come from all directions as everyone trips over guy ropes and walks into low branches in the search for a good spot; a place to see, but not be seen. The frost wolf pups don't help a bit. They get under people's feet, and make another set of things to trip over. Luckily I manage to avoid all obstacles, but only just!

Claire doesn't wake though, and soon we're all tucked in shadows behind tents, trees and under bushes. Darkness is our main cover. Claire is lit up by the fire, but won't be able to see beyond the firelight herself.  
Hannah pulls out a water pistol.

** She fires.**

** "Aarrgh!" Claire wakes up with a start, hit with a jet of ice cold water. "Hannah!" How she knows it was Hannah with her eyes still screwed shut I don't know; probably just because nobody else would have a water pistol at a camp fire!**

** Everyone, with the obvious exception of Claire, roars with laughter.**

** "That was brilliant Hannah!" laughs Richard, clapping loudly.**

** "Was not." says Claire, sounding like a stroppy toddler, as she wipes the water from her eyes with a dry corner of her sleeve.**

** "Oh, lighten up!" says Bethany. "It ****_was_**** brilliant!"**

** "Your face!" laughs Hannah, waving her water-pistol about expressively. Claire glowers around the almost-out fire at everyone. Her embarrassment is obvious.**

** "Your fault for falling asleep!" taunts Richard.**

** Claire glares at him. "I didn't mean to, thank you very much!"**

** "You looked so funny!" Ruby giggles.**

** "Calm down Claire, it's only moisture!" laughs Alex.**

** "But it's ****_wet_**** moisture!" moans Claire. "****_Cold_****, ****_wet_**** moisture!"**

** "It was from the lake!" chortles Hannah.**

** "Yuck! ****_Hannah_****! I only washed my hair earlier and now it's full of lake again!" Claire storms off in the general direction of the shower block.**

** We all start giggling again, which is made worse when Hannah says, "it was from the tap!"**

**Now Claire has gone, everything is suddenly less interesting. The campfire has all but gone out, and everyone is just sleepily standing about. I flop down in the nearest chair to read.**

** I have reached a rather dull scene now. I gaze around, and decide to read my book about dragons instead. It's called ****_Dragon Companions_**** by John Brown, and Claire said I should read it. I thought it sounded boring at first, but it's actually rather interesting. I get onto a chapter about dragon anatomy, when Claire comes stomping back. Her hair is still dripping wet and she looks grumpy.**

** "Get out of my chair." She snaps. I jump, because I didn't realise it was her chair. I glance down, and see that it's actually one of the ones Alex brought with her.**

** "It's not your chair." I tell her, "don't take your grumpiness out on me." And I go back to my dragon book.**

** "That's where I was sitting!" whines Claire. "What's that stupid book you're reading?"**

** I raise my eyebrows at her. "It's the dragon book you told me to read. Find somewhere else to sit." She sighs and goes to sit on a chair across the pitch, next to Alex. Tabitha, who was getting a drink from the cool-box, sits down in the chair on the other side of her.**

** "Cheer up Claire!" she says. "It was only Hannah having one of her jokes!" Claire scowls at her.**

** "Yeah, it doesn't matter." says Alex, "don't take it so seriously!" I watch their unsuccessful attempts to console Claire, and decide it will probably be in vain. Claire has decided to be stroppy, so she will stubbornly continue to be grumpy for the rest of the evening. Stubbornness is a quality of dragons and their companions.**

** I go back to my book for a bit, and then glance up again. Alex and Tabitha are still talking to the grumpy Claire, and I can see they're enjoying it even if she isn't. I yawn, and glance at my watch. It's almost half past ten. ****_Where did the evening go?_**** I wonder.**

** I try to concentrate on my book, but I'm tired out after a day of training. Speaking of which, I ache all over from flying on Stormswept. From across the red embers of the campfire, Emmalina yawns too, brushing her long, black hair behind her ears.**

** "I'm going to bed." She announces.**

** "Good idea!" says Alex, getting up. I'm glad I didn't have to suggest it, because suggesting things is not one of my many talents.**

** We change into our pyjamas and go to brush our teeth, and some of the others decide to as well. Then Alex and I climb into our pod. I spend a few minutes arranging my sleeping bag after the messy way I left it this morning. It's blue slippery stuff on the outside with a mushroom-coloured, plaid lining, which is horrible. But it's warm and that's what matters.**

** I snuggle down, lying on my left side so I'm facing Alex. She faces me, with her toy horse Misham, and we talk for a while about what else we're going to do on camp. And, while Bethany isn't there, the plan we have for tomorrow.**

** Then Bethany comes in and gets into her purple sleeping bag, and we all talk about companions, and school, and how Alex and I are starting GCSEs next year, and how Bethany's finishing GCSE's next year, and about our friends.**

** A little while later we hear Amanda and Claire getting into their pod, talking quietly, and we decide to go to sleep. Bethany rolls over and seems to fall asleep almost immediately, and it's not long before Alex does too.**

** I lie there for a while, thinking about tomorrow. I am prepared for it to be a bit awkward. Actually it will probably be very awkward. But fun too. I turn onto my other side, and daydream about it.**

**Eventually, I fall properly asleep, and have muddled dreams about Roman gods and natural disasters and Mr Scott.**

* * *

_*** These are Latin words, because this is just the sort of situation in which it is great fun to speak in Latin, and is also the sort of moment when me an Izzy would!**_

_**eheu! – oh no!**_

_**urticae – stinging nettles**_

_**asini – donkeys**_

_**caudeces – idiots (not too sure of the grammar on that one! If anyone happens to know what the plural of caudex is, feel free to let us know!)**_


	7. 7 - In which Conrad has cool clothes

_**In which Conrad has cool fanfics**_

_**That was a month since the last chapter . . . oops . . . Sorry all the people who aren't following this!**_

* * *

When I wake up, I am immediately struck by how cold it is. I curl up on my left side, so I'm facing Alex, who's still sleeping. I can hear something from outside which sounds suspiciously like Richard giving somebody a good telling off.

"Honestly Amanda!" he says in exasperation, although I can hear the smile in his voice, "You can't even make toast without burning it! You're almost as bad as Claire!"

"Hey! Richard!" I hear my mentor laugh, followed by something which sounds a lot like her hitting Richard over the head with a book, "At least I can make toast!" Their banter continues, and I wonder about getting up and going to join them. Maybe… in a minute…

The second time I wake up, the arguing has stopped. I wriggle around in my sleeping bag to see Alex stretch and open her eyes.

"Morning," she mutters, seeing that I'm also awake.

"Morning!" I sit up and stretch. "I think… I think I had a funny dream last night. Paelen was in it. And I think we were in our geography room, and… I think a volcano erupted… Or something…" Bethany mumbles something about weekends in her sleep and rolls over. Alex and I clamber out of the pod, trying not to wake Bethany.

Outside we find some of the others, sitting round eating non-burnt toast. I guess somebody other than Amanda made it.

"Hi girls!" says Claire, "Fancy some toast?"

"Just so long as Amanda didn't make it!" laughs Alex, grinning at her mentor.

"No!" laughs Amanda, "Luckily Claire was around, and she managed not to oxidise it like I do!"

"So ..." I glance at Alex as I sit down and spread my toast with butter. "Shall we tell them now?"

"Tell us what?" Claire demands to know.

Richard sits down beside her, "Yeah, you've got to tell us now!"

"Um," says Alex, taking a bite of her toast. "Some friends of mine and Izzy's will be coming later… hope you don't mind…"

"That's fine!" says Amanda. "Just so long as they don't mind coming into Midhurst for lunch with us!"

"Not to mention putting up with Claire!" laughs Richard.

"Shut up!" she responds, smacking his arm lightly.

"So, who are these friends? And how are they getting here?" queries Amanda before Richard can retaliate.

"Just some friends." I say. "They're called Conrad and Paelen"

"And they're being dropped off just outside the campsite," says Alex, as we've rehearsed. "I'll be collecting them." The others gradually come out of the tents then, and we sit in the morning sunshine, laughing and eating non-oxidised toast.

I'm sitting round the camp table playing Piggy (a very silly card game in which you each have four cards and pass one round each time, and the aim is to get four the same. When you've done that, you put your finger on your nose. If you see someone else with their finger on their nose, you put your finger on yours too. Then last one with their finger on their nose loses!), with Lisa, Hannah, Izzy, Claire, Richard, Amber and Amanda. Lisa passes me a king. _Grrrrrr! I didn't want one of those!_ I think to myself, and pass a six on to keep the game going. I glance up to see Richard with his finger on his nose. I do the same. Ten or so seconds later, everyone else has too, all except Claire. She suddenly sees us all, and her finger shoots upwards. We all roar with laughter. She grins too, until Richard says,

"Beat you that time Claire!" Claire frowns and opens her mouth to reply, but Amber interrupts.

"Honestly, Claire! He was _joking_! No need to take him seriously!"

"But he's always doing that!" She retorts angrily. "It isn't funny anymore!" Really, she sounds like she's in year two! Lisa clearly agrees, because she says exactly that. Claire snaps at her too.

"For goodness sake guys! It. Is. A. _Game!_" I laugh in disbelief. "Anyway, I'm going to fetch Conrad and Paelen. See you later!"

As I hurry off towards the woods, I hear Claire say, "Oh, I'm going to play badminton!"

I break into a jog as I reach the path that leads from our pitch to the woods below. This soon becomes a run, as I leap the ditch at the bottom. I feel so much like a horse doing a cross-country course that I decide to "canter". I am a twice six-year-old after all!

"Cantering" certainly makes the journey more interesting, and I jump the low and broken style when I reach it. I canter on, and prepare to gallop as I turn the next corner. I give the imaginary aid, and come up short at a large brown cow. It is _very_ real, unlike the beautiful black Friesian I was riding.

It turns to face me, "_UUUUUUUURRRRRRRR_!" Wait? Aren't cows meant to go moo? But there's no time to think about that. I decide there's only one thing to be done. I step boldly forward and give a large shove. It doesn't move a muscle, just continues to stare. I make a hasty retreat; I'd forgotten I was scared of cows!

Maybe there is one more thing I could do. Firewater. I snatch the lighter I stole from Richard's cooking set from my pocket. I've never actually used one of these before, so I'll just have to work it out. I spin the little wheel hopefully. Nothing happens. I try a few more times, until I get fed up and try my powers instead. That doesn't work either, so I try combining them. This time, as I spin the wheel and try to use my powers, the irritating little thing actually lights. I call Firewater, and we're off. The cow doesn't bat so much as an eye lash, let alone an eye lid, as we fly over its head.

Soon, I spot our meeting place ahead of us, a small clearing in the midst of massive pine trees. It is hard to get to from the ground, owing to the dense trees, and thick coverings of bracken and brambles all around it. It's wild, and beautiful.

As we land on the springy mat of pine-needles that coat the floor, I glance around to see Conrad already there. He's sitting on a rock, day-dreaming. _Just like Izzy, _I think, and smile.

"Hey there, Conrad!" I call out to him. He jumps slightly, and spins around.

"Oh, hi!" He calls back cheerfully. He's wearing new, modern clothes, which look surprisingly natural on him, even if he does look a little self-conscious in them. With his jeans, trainers, and top that says _'stop lookin my top'; _he looks just like any other teenage boy.

"Nice clothes!" I complement him.

"Thanks!" He says grinning. After that, there's nothing much else to say. I don't really know him that well.

But luckily we are saved from awkwardness by Paelen's arrival. He strides out of the woods, also wearing normal Earth clothes, although the effect is rather spoilt by his winged sandals.

"Hey, Alex." He says, putting an arm round my shoulders, and kissing me on the cheek, "and how are you Firewater?"

Firewater preens his feathers, "Great thanks!"

"You?" I add.

"Optimus!" He winks at me.

"It means excellent in Latin," I translate for a confused looking Conrad. "Shall we get going back to camp?" I see Conrad looks a bit awkward. "Oh, and Paelen," I continue. "Would Conrad be able to borrow your winged sandals?"

Paelen shakes his head sadly, "They only work for me, I'm afraid."

"Oh, well. Conrad, I'm very sorry, but you'll have to fly Firewater with me!" We catch each other's eye, and giggle awkwardly.

He shrugs, "I _have_ always wanted to fly!"

"Good, well, mount up then!" This turns out to be the hardest part, as it was for me too. When he's standing on the ground, Firewater's back is almost vertical, which means Conrad keeps slithering back to the ground before he can get a good enough grip. Eventually, after several leg-ups, we're both on. The three of us set off.

As we fly over the reserve, I continually have to give Conrad instructions. "Lean _forward_, grip with your knees. _Don't _lean over the edge, you'll fall off!" Eventually though, he's managing very well, and I wonder if he has a companion species too. But as he leans back for about the hundredth time, I decide he is definitely _not_ a phoenix companion.

I'm playing a failed game of badminton with Claire, when Alex arrives back with Conrad and Paelen. Paelen is using his winged sandals but she and Conrad are riding Firewater. Awkward. I watch them land and dismount, forgetting completely about badminton until the shuttle-cock hits me on the side of the face.

"Ow! Claire! What was that for!?" I exclaim.

"Are you playing badminton or not?" my mentor snaps.

"No!" I laugh in a way I know is annoying and run over the people who just arrived.

"Con!" I greet my boyfriend with a hug and then step back to admire his modern outfit. "I like your clothes!" They're certainly better than mine – I'm wearing my training suit with tracksuit bottoms over the top for the sake of warmth. "C'mon, let's go sit down!"

I abandon Claire completely and look around for a seat. We go to sit on Alex's folding sofa, which decides to fall over backwards the instant we sit down. I look sideways across the ground at Conrad and it suddenly seems hilarious. We both start giggling madly for no reason whatsoever. We wriggle round on the ground and have just managed to get the sofa upright when Ruby and Bethany come over.

"Hi, Conrad!" says Bethany in her usual friendly way. "Nice to meet you! I'm Bethany!"

"Hi." Says Conrad.

"That Paelen is _well _hot!" says Ruby. I can't think of an answer to this; it's not my concern.

"Oh, and Richard says to tell you we're going out for lunch in a minute. You're both in a car with me, Richard and Claire." Adds Bethany.

I groan, "Who put Richard and _Claire _together?" Bethany shrugs, laughing. Richard calls us over at that moment, so we go and join him. I sit in the middle of the back-seats of the car, because I'm the smallest. And guess what? Claire and Richard are arguing again.

"… and it's a right turning at the next crossroads, then the next left." She says.

"No it's not!" insists Richard. "It's left, then the first junction at the roundabout!"

"No – that would take us to the lake!"

"No it wouldn't! The lake's back _that _way!" Richard gestures back the way we have just come.

"Look –_I'm _the one with the map!" snaps Claire.

"And _I'm _the one who's been here before!" persists Richard. In fact, they're so busy arguing that Richard drives straight through the junction and just keeps going straight ahead.

"I hope that was the right way." I mutter.

"It was," Bethany assures me, "Look, we're here!" Richard parks beside the other cars and we get out.

"Remember," says Jemma to us all, "if anybody asks we're all related!" We wander up the high street, trying to find somewhere nice for lunch.

"What about here?" suggests Richard, gesturing to a rather gloomy and not very nice looking diner.

"No, not here!" exclaims Claire. Honestly, if Richard read Claire's mind she'd disagree with him. "I want to go to that tea pot place in the guide book!"

"But this place does _really _good pizzas!" whines Richard.

"But I don't _feel _like pizza!" protests Claire.

"But _I_ don't drink tea!" insists Richard.

"No, stupid – it's just _called _the Teapot Café!"


End file.
